Protective device for picture-machines.



D. J. BELL. PBOTEUTIVE DEVICE FOR PICTURE MACHINES.

APPLICATION nun r1112. 1, nos.

91 6,410. Patented Mar. 30, 1909.

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DONALD J. BELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR PICTURE-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 30, 1909.

Application filed. February 1, 1908. Serial No. 413,807.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DONALD J. Belle, citi zen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Protective Devices for 37 device 121, the detailed ccmstruction of winch Picture-Machines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to film-operating apparatus and has particularreference to devices for protecting the highly inflammable strips ofcelluloid in common use, from the effects of tire.

The special objects of the iniprovcments which form the subject matterof this application are to provide a practically air-tight protectivecasing for the film; to furnish automatic means for extinguishing theflames at the point of entrance of the film into the protective magazinein case the film outside has been set on fire, and to providefilm-feeding means &c. to supply a simple, effective, and durable devicefor the purpose specified.

I accomplish the objects sought by eniploying the apparatus illustratedin the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, and inwhich Figure 1 is a side view of the device, a portion of the magazinebeing broken away; Fig. 2 is a top plan view; Fig. 8 is an enlargedsectional view of the upper part of the housing, and Fig. st is a rearview, enlarged, of the upper part.

Referring to the details of the drawing, the numeral indicates a box ormagazine for the used film, closed upon all sides except the top uponwhich rests a cover 6, and a portion of this cover is extended upward inthe form of a truncated pyramid 7, leaving a horizontal plane surface 8forming a base upon which can be mounted the frame of a pictureprojecting apparatus, not illustrated in the drawing. The upper part ofthe portion 7 forms a housing 9, open above and in this opening or mouthare arranged the operative parts which combine, when in initialpositions, to form a practically complete closure therefor. Near thefront of said housing is a film-operating roller 10 provided with theusual sprockets l1, and mounted on a shaft 12, journaled in boxes 13 onthe side walls of the housing. The said shaft is extended beyond thehousing upon one side, and is supported in a sleeve 1%, formed integralwith a bracket 15, se

cured to the housing by a screw l6 and dowel pin 17. lipon the saidshaft external to the bracket is mounted a gear 18 which meshes with asimilar gear it) carried on a stud 20, lixed in said bracket. l pon theend of the shaft 12 is mounted a. gear shifting is not shown since itforms no part of my invention.

The rear all of the housing isinclined at an. angle as shown at 22 andat the upper margin is a transverse pin 23 forming a pin the upon whichis swung a wide plate 24' furnished with knuckles through which the pin23 passes, a spiral spring 25 surrounding the pin tending to throw theplate back to the position shown in dotted outline in Fig. 3, exceptwhen said plate is locked by a but ten 26 in its operative positionextending toward the roller 10. The front margin of said plate is cutaway to admit a guard or cut-elf roller 21', except at the sides wherethe plate is left intact to form arms 28 in which the roller 27 isjournaled. Said roller is furnished with peripheral grooves 29 toreceive the sprocket-teeth l1, and permit the two roliers to be closelyapproximated, only sufiicient interval being provided to permit theroller 27 to swing past the sprocket roller in either direction, andthus prevent binding at the line of Contact when the movement of thefilm is reversed or during the passage of the thicker portions caused bythe over-lapping of the film sections. An auxiliary tensioning roller30, is journaled in bearings 31, formed integral with a plate 32,provided with rectangular knuckles 33 pivoted on the pintle 23. Thisroller is also furnished with grooves 29 to correspond with the sprocketteeth and prevent interference therewith when the said roller 30 is incontact with the fihn a, or immediately with the sprocket roller 10. Theroller 30 is yieldingly retained in operative position by tlat springs el secured by screws 35 to the inside face of the inclined Wall 22, andprojecting through notches 36 in said wall, to engage the knuckles 33 ata point beyond their fulcrum, the pin 23. The arrangen'ient of thesesprings is such that their pressure will tend to retain the plate 32 ineither retracted or extended position, the latter being shown in dottedoutline in F i 3, the action being similar to that of an ordinary knifespring. When the button 26 is turned to release the plate 24:, thespring 25 IOU will throw the plate to an extended position as shown inFig. 3 in dotted outline, and the said spring is powerful enough tocarry the plate 32 and its roller with it, in case the latter plate isin the retracted position, shown in full lines in Fig. 3, the extendedposition being shown in full in Fig. 3.

During the threading oil the strip or film, a, the rollers E27 and 30,are thrown baa-h into extended position and when the film is properlyplaced, the rollers are returned to the initial or operative position,the prerise lo cation of the roller lit! depending upon the tension atthe tilni against which it rests. The auxiliary roller 30 insures theproper feeding of the film between the sprocket and the roller 27,irrespective of the size of the loop in the film, and also affords amore efi ective fire extinguishing means than the sprocket and roller 27alone.

It will be readily ln'ulerstood that the close proximity of the sprocketroller 10 and the guard roller 27 to each other will prevent thetransmission of the combustion process beyond this line should the filmbecome ig nited, as when the said film is in position there is completecontact between the film and the rollers upon either side, thuscompletely cutting off any communication between the ttanies and theinterior of the easing, and thoroughly protecting the film storedtherein.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is 1. A film operatingapparatus, comprising a casing having an opening to receive the film, afilm feeding roller mounted on said casing and extending across saidopening, two superposed plates hingedly connected and arranged abovesaid opening, rollers mounted upon the free ends of said plates andadapted to cngime the film, a spring urging one of said pfates to itsextended position, and a second spring adapted to yieldingly maintainthe other of said plates in either operative or inoperative position.

2. A film operatingapparatus, comprising a casing having an opening toreceive the film, a film feeding roller mounted on said casing andextending across said opening, two superposed plates hingcdly connectedand forming a partial closure for said opening, rollers mounted upon thefree ends of said plates and adapted to engage the film, a spriilgurging one of said plates to its extended position, a. movable stopadapted to hold the last mentioned plate in its operative positionagainst the action of said spring, said stop permitting the plate tomove in the opposite direction, and means for yieldingly holding theother plate in either ()l'XltlilVG or inoperative position.

it. A film operating apparatus, comprising a casing having an opening toreceive the film, a. film feeding roller mounted on said casing andextended across said opening, a plate hinged on said casing over saidopening, a. roller mounted on the free end of said plate and adapted toengage the him, a second plate hinged on said casing and extending overthe first plate, and a roller mounted on the free end of said seei endplate and adapted to engage the film.

4. A. film operating apparatus comprising a casing having an opening toreceive the film, and means on said casing forming a. closure therefor,said means consisting of a film l'eed roller, a hinged plate, a rollermounted on said plate in close proximity to the feed roller and adaptedto swing in either direction from a line connecting the respectivecenters of the plate and said feed roller, and a. movable stop adaptedto limit the movement of said plate in one direction only.

5. A film operating apparatus, comprising a casing having an opening toreceive the film, and means on said casing forming a. closure therefor,said means consisting of a sprocket roller mounted at one side of saidopening, a plate hinged on said casing, a roller mounted on said platein close proximity to said sprocket roller, a. second plate hinged onsaid casing and. extending over the first plate, a roller mounted on thefree end of said plate and adapted to engage the film and means forholding said second plate in its closed and open positions relative tosaid opening.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

DONALD J. BELL. XVitnesses 1 WM. B. Moons, M. A. Minoan.

